Nicola Pietrangeli, the man who put Italian tennis on the world map, has died at 92. More than a champion, he was an icon of style, charm, and passion in an era when sport was less commercial and more romantic.
Nicola Pietrangeli, Italy’s greatest tennis player and one of the sport’s most charismatic figures, has died at the age of 92. His passing marks the end of an era when tennis was played with elegance, grit, and a sense of joy that transcended competition.
Born in Tunis in 1933 to Italian parents, Pietrangeli grew up in a cosmopolitan environment that shaped his flair both on and off the court. He became synonymous with Italian tennis during the 1950s and 1960s—a time when the game was far removed from today’s hyper-commercialised spectacle. For Pietrangeli, tennis was a way of life—a celebration of movement, style on and off the court, and enduring self-irony.
A record that still stands
Pietrangeli remains the only Italian player to have won two Roland Garros singles titles (1959 and 1960) and reached four finals in Paris. He also played in two Davis Cup finals and holds an extraordinary record: 120 match wins in Davis Cup competition—numbers that no other Italian has matched. His name graces the Stadio “Nicola Pietrangeli” at the Foro Italico in Rome, a tribute to his enduring legacy.
But Pietrangeli was more than statistics.
He was a symbol of elegance and joie de vivre, a man who lived fully and unapologetically. Known as an Italian playboy, he moved with ease between tennis courts and high society, embodying a lifestyle that combined discipline with pleasure. When asked some time ago whether he could have won more if he’d trained harder and been more disciplined, he answered that “sure, he could have trained more and won more, but would have had less fun”.
His charm and wit made him a darling of the media and a cultural icon in post-war Italy—the country of the economic miracle lived with joy, which gave its name to that “dolce vita” that for generations has symbolised the aspiration to live “all’italiana”: productive, yet joyful, optimistic, and beautiful to behold.
An era of grace
Unlike today’s era of data-driven performance and relentless sponsorships, Pietrangeli’s world was one of handwritten scorecards, wooden rackets, and long rallies under the sun. Matches were battles of endurance and artistry, not just power. He often said, “If it rains, we postpone”—a phrase that captured his philosophy: sport should never lose its human dimension. That phrase would become the title of his autobiography, published in 2023 (in Italian, Se piove, rimandiamo).
Inspiration and criticism
For generations of Italian players, Pietrangeli was a mentor and a beacon. He inspired Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti, and countless others who followed in his footsteps. Jannik Sinner belongs to a different generation—one raised much later, perhaps more disciplined, almost scientific in their approach to training and competition.
Towards Sinner, whom he nonetheless appreciated, Pietrangeli did not hold back criticism, particularly after the South Tyrolean player’s decision not to participate in the 2025 Davis Cup, which Italy went on to win anyway, defeating Spain in the final in Bologna on 23 November. “I’m very sorry, for him too. He’s getting in line with those who think only about money and not about the fans,” he said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Repubblica.
Italian tribute
As the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP) noted in its tribute: “No one in the Italian national team has ever been like him.” The Federation has announced that a minute’s silence will be observed at all official events in the coming days in honour of Nicola Pietrangeli, ensuring his example and legacy continue to resonate on every court in Italy.
Today, Italian tennis thrives on the global stage—but it all began with Nicola Pietrangeli, a man who played not only to win, but to live beautifully.
